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UKHUTHAZWA
abantu
UMA ubheka uJohn Sithole oneminyaka engu-25 ungathi wakhulela elokishini - uphethe isitayela, ekhanda ugunde iMohawk, ugqoka amateku ohlobo lweConverse All Stars, kanti kuyisifiso sakhe ukuba nemoto enkulu enhle ngelinye ilanga (i-Audi TT). "Ngiyisigelekeqe esizaziyo izinto," kusho yena ngokuzethemba.
Kodwa lesi sihlabani esisafufusa kwezefeshini asikhulelanga elokishini sakhulela emaphandleni eBoschfontein, ngaseMalelane eMpumalanga.
"Akukuningi engangikwenza eMpumalanga," kusho kukhumbula yena. "Ngangivuka ekuseni ngiye esikoleni emva kwalokho ngiye e-factory kamalume sithunge imifaniswano.
"Ngangisiza nsuku zonke ebhizinisini likamalume."
U-John washiya elaseMpumalanga emva kokuqeda u-matric eMbambiso High School ngo-2001 - wawuqeda engawenzanga uGrade 11 ngoba othisha bakhe babebona ukuthi ukuwenza kuzomchithela isikhathi ngoba wayekhaliphile.
Wayenolwazi olugcwele ngemboni yokuthunga kanti wabhalisa eWits Technikon eyokwenza izifundo ze-clothing management nakuba ayehlose ukusebenza njengonjiniyela wasezimayini.
"Umfowethu wathi ngabe ngenza ubulima uma ngingalusebenzisi ulwazi lwami lokuthunga. Ngangazi ukuthi wayeqinisile kanti sathatha isinqumo sokubambisana kuleli bhizinisi."
Emva kokusebenza ngokuzinikela nokuwina imiklomelo, uJohn wavula i-Earthquake ngo-2004. Ngokusho kwakhe leli gama lichaza "ukuzamazama " ingqephu yakhe eza nako kwezefeshini eJozi.
"Izingubo zami zihlanganisa amasiko ahlukahlukene," kuqhuba yena. "Ayiqondene nabantu abathile. Abantu abathanda ukubukeka kahle abagqoka izingubo zami."
"Ingqephu yami iyisitayela sasedolobheni," kusho yena.
"Ngikhuthazwa engikubona esitaladini, yindlela abantu abahamba ngayo, nendlela abanyathela ngayo uma bekuMarket Street, ngikhuthazwe yindlela abazipholela ngayo ezitaladini - i-Earthquake ikhuthazwa yizo zonke lezi zinto okungelula ukuzibeka ngolimi."
Engqephwini yakhe kukhona amajakhethi enziwe ngophisi bezindwangu abahlukahlukene, ama-short e-denim nengxube yezindwangu nemibala.
"Uma ngibona abantu begqoke izingubo zami ngivele ngicabange lapho ngisuka khona," kusho yena.
U-John ukubeka kucace ukuthi akafuni ukukhuluma ngempilo yakhe yangasese. "Ngikhonze ukuzihlalela nama 'genge' sibukele ama-movie amaShayina ngoba abuye angikhuthaze emsebenzini wami..."
Akakayikhohlwa indawo yaseMpumalanga. "Ngiyaya ekhaya kodwa angisondeli emshinini wokuthunga ngoba ngisuke ngifuna ukuphumula ngizizwele ubumnandi bokuba sekhaya!" [z]
AENS / Homegrown
Okwenza ukuba uJohn Sithole nefeshini yakhe ebizwa nge-Earthquake badle ubhedu embonini yezefeshini eJozi... indaba nguZodwa Khumalo, izithombe nguVanessa Grobler/AENS
U-Jafta Mabangu owenza izifundo zefeshini no-Isaac Sithole ongumzala kaJohn besiza uJohn esitayeleni sakhe seMohawk.
ITHALENTE ELISHA
BONA ZULU September 2008
"Ingqephu yami ngiyenza ihambisane nesitayela sasedolobheni," kusho uJohn.
